Future's Thread
by Hermes's Least Favorite Child
Summary: Connor and Travis had stolen a spool of thread from the Fates and have to give it to Leo. This mystical thread will give the son of Hephaestus five looks into the future. And just who's future will Leo look at? Review for who's future will be shown. Romance, pairings, and cheesiness will ensue. Also, pairings are hidden because I'm evil. -Sherry Pincher
1. Future's Thread

Connor and Travis Stoll hesitated. But they had bet the most valuable thing they had ever stolen and since they lost…

Leo smirked, beckoning with his hand. "I'm waiting."

Connor sighed and reached into his backpack and took out a large spool of thread. He winced as he parted with it as though it physically hurt, _hurt_, to have such a valuable thing torn from his hands.

Leo looked at it and wrinkled his nose. "What is this, just an old spool of thread?"

Travis choked. "J-Just an old _spool of thread_!?" Connor caught him just as he lunged forward, hands outstretched as though to strangle Leo for saying those words.

"Leo, you don't get it," Connor whispered, looking around suspiciously. He leaned in close and whispered, "That's the previous spool we stole from _Three Fates_."

"Whoa," Leo said, taking a step back. He shook his head. "I don't know what that means but it sounds _fantastic _and really ominous and stuff. What does it do?"

"Sit down at a looming wheel and make a square sheet of fabric from that cloth," Travis said. "Each person has a specific color. There is an endless amount of colors on this Earth, you know. The Fates know every color."

"But that's like saying you know every number," Leo said, wrinkling his nose.

"Exactly," the two twins said at the exact same time. Connor cleared his throat. "Say the name of someone, _full name_, mind you, and make a square sheet of fabric. An insight of their future will be shown."

"How many sheets can I make with this?" he asked, eyeing the thread.

The twins looked from the spool and to each other, then back at the spool. They spoke together again. "We're going to say around five."

"Five looks into the future…" Leo stared at the string with newfound reverence. "Thank you, gentlemen. I hope we do even more work together in the future."

He walked away to the Athena cabin. Time to sit at a loom.

** Hi guys! Maddie, here. Okay, so here's the idea. I'm going to write an insight of each future for each chapter. Tell me which people you want an insight on! I have three slots. I am definitely going to look at Leo's future and Percy's. Pairings will be revealed later.**

** So, review and tell me what the next should be!**


	2. Leo's Future

Leo looked inside the Athena cabin. Great, no one was there. He tiptoed inside, somersaulted across the floor, and jumped over a bed, all of which was very unnecessary as, once again, there was no one there.

Ah-ha! There it was. In the corner, a loom the Athena kids didn't bother with too much was collecting dust. Leo bounded over and read the instruction manual right next to the loom and looped the thread over and over.

"Leo Valdez," Leo whispered to the string.

It turned orange. A deep, rusty orange that was the exact color of vibrant Celestial Bronze. It wasn't exactly the terrible shade of Drew's Autumn Fall Pumpkin Lipstick and Eyeliner set that Chiron banned because it was giving him a migraine. But still, orange? Really?

The loom began to weave all by itself. It whizzed quickly for perhaps about a minute or so. Then there was a small square-foot of fabric. Leo closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Then he looked at the sheet.

The fabric didn't move for a count of fifteen seconds and then the ripples in the thread made pictures so fine, they might have been videos. It even made sound. Leo leaned in closer, enraptured.

He looked…older. Perhaps a year or so? It was a relief he'd get to live that long. Did that mean the war with Gaea would end for the better?

The Leo in the cloth was on Festus. Score! He'd really be able to fix his buddy someday, too. He was flying across an ocean, with a navigator sphere by his side.

He'd also learned how to construct his own spheres? Double score!

"So close," the Leo in the future said, eyes cloudy with thought. "It should be…there!"

The place he was talking about was an island, a small, tiny one smack dab in the middle of an endless blue sea.

Getting closer, Leo's mind began to play connect the dots. It was so familiar, this place.

He landed on a pristine white beach. Leo's eyes bugged.

"Calypso?" Future Leo called tentatively as he alighted onto the sand. He took in a deep breath and the nostalgia was so sharp, Leo could remember the time he had broken the dinner table as clear as day.

But would she come out?

The girl in question walked out from the tangle of trees and vines, looking just as godly as she had the day Leo had crash-landed. Her hair might have been slightly longer but it was hard to tell.

She was carrying a basket of grapes and bread. Calypso's eyes swept the beach sadly, as looking for something that was not there. She looked at Leo for a tiny fraction of a millisecond and looked away.

Then Calypso dropped the basket of grapes.

"Leo!" she whispered, amazed. Her eyes were cloudy, as though she couldn't believe what was in front of her very eyes.

"A full promise?" Future Leo said with a small chuckle.

Calypso rushed into Leo's arms and planted a kiss on his lips that would have made a perfect valentine picture. Future Leo seemed as happy as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Leo blushed and nearly looked away.

Nearly.

The image changed.

This time, he was in his twenties, Leo guessed. Wow, with a nice brown beard too. What was he, a Latino Santa instead of elf? That could get some getting used to for sure.

Then he looked closer. The Old Leo was sitting in a comfortable chair made intricately from woven Celestial Bronze cords. Obviously his own work.

Then he saw where the chair was. On a grassy field in front of a mechanic's shop. No…no, it couldn't be possible.

Leo didn't dare to breathe nor hope.

"What are you staring dopily at, Mechanic?" asked a musical voice from behind him.

The Leo in the sheet turned. The Leo watching the sheet nearly blacked out. Calypso came into view, older…more beautiful. How was that possible? She was a goddess and she couldn't get older, always frozen at age sixteen.

But the thread knew best, of course.

"Just trying to get a grasp on the universe," Old Leo said, chuckling. He stood up and Calypso wrapped her hands around his neck. They kissed softly, once.

Leo was getting a tad uncomfortable when Old Leo put his hands on Calypso's waist. Then a voice inside the sheet yelled, "Gross!"

"Do you have to make out in front of us, Mom and Dad?" another voice asked.

Two children. One boy, one girl, obviously twins. Both were about the size of six-year olds. They both had his eyes, except the boy had curly, golden, cinnamon hair whereas the girl had a mane of wild curls. Very familiar. Leo just about gasped when he figured it out.

They were _his _curls.

The similarities were clearer now. The little girl's mischievous smile that made teachers say "_Don't even think about it_." Her impishly round face. Her twitching fingers that begged to be set loose on a bunch of paperclips and rubber bands. She had skin the color of coffee with milk.

The boy might as well have been a stranger though. But he was practically a younger carbon copy of Calypso, with the delicate heart-shaped face and pale skin.

"But how else can I show your mother that I love her?" Old Leo asked and then kissed Calypso again, quickly, this time on the cheek.

"We're going to lose our appetite for dinner," the girl complained. "You guys won't let us have cookies before dinner but you show us _that_?"

"Oh, you exaggerate too much, Esperanza," Calypso snorted fondly. She leaned down to their height and caressed the little girl's cheek.

Leo's heart stopped. He was going to name his future daughter Esperanza?

His hands stood uncharacteristically still at his hands. What was the little dude's name.

"Relax, Atlas, just be glad we don't show you two what we do when bed time comes," Future Leo said with a wink.

"Yuck!" Atlas groaned. Calypso turned a very pretty pink and slapped Leo's arm.

The image faded.

This time, Calypso was much, much older. White haired, spectacled, she was wrinkled like an apple left out in the sun. She had a needle in her arm as she stared out the hospital bed.

Future Leo this time still had enough of that gleam in his eyes to make him look like him, but he was also very old. With a porkpie hat on his head and pipe in his mouth that blew out multicolored bubbles, he still seemed very sad. He had her hand in his.

"Calypso, the doctor says you're ready to begin walking again," Leo said in a soft voice.

Calypso blinked once, slowly, as though it hurt. "I hardly feel as if I can."

Her hand began to get wet. Calypso looked up to see Leo in tears. "If you were always immortal, you wouldn't-"

"I wouldn't have ever been happy as I could have been," Calypso interrupted. "We're staying together. Aphrodite said so herself."

Leo smiled a watery smile. "Swear."

"I'll make a full promise," Calypso whispered.

The image faded and the cloth stopped rippling.

Leo sat back and took a deep breath. That was enough future to hold for a while. He stuffed the orange sheet into his back pocket and drifted from the cabin.

He met Annabeth outside.

"What-Leo?" Annabeth asked. "What were you doing in there?"

But he just drifted past without an answer.


	3. Hazel's Future

"Leo hasn't come out of Bunker 9 for the last three days," Nyssa said worriedly to Hazel. "I'm…I'm worried about him. He hasn't had any food, water, or fresh air. He's not building something, I only know that."

Hazel bit her lip. "I'll go take a look, if you want. Is he still in the Bunker?"

"He hasn't budged from that cave."

Hazel took in a deep breath and walked into the forest. She had also worried about Leo. He seemed so reclusive, lately. He hanged out with the Stolls more than was good for him, didn't joke as much as he did, gazed out the window, fingers as stiff as stone, and then he had disappeared.

She thought it had something to do with what happened to him on his five days of exile last year. Hazel couldn't tell how she quite knew, but it was a premonition she would not bet against.

She came up to the cave and knocked on the door. "Leo?"

There was a crash of something big on the floor, a loud curse that sounded half Greek and half Spanish, and a comical sound of a yowling cat. Something metallic clattered and rang, and then the door slid open meekly.

"Who is it?" Leo asked absentmindedly.

"Hazel," she said. Now was the time when he would say, "Hazel who?"

But instead, he just opened the door a bit wider and winced at the intense sunlight. "Come on in, Hazel."

Hazel. No Miss Metal-Detector, no Haze, no Memory Mist, no Magic Fingers. Just Hazel. Something had to be wrong with him.

"Leo, we've been worrying about you," she said softly as she looked at the mess inside. "When was the last time you ate?"

"A couple of days ago," Leo said, eyes still cloudy. He sat back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, hands on the mattress.

Hazel whirled around, shocked. "Leo! Are you _trying _to fade into nothingness? Come on, we have to get something nourishing in you. You're going to die like this!"

That got a small chuckle out of him. Hazel furrowed her brow. What did she say that he could laugh at? The mention of death? That wasn't funny at all. She would know, she had already died once.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"I'm not scared of the future, Hazel, I know how long I'm going to live," Leo said with a smirk. "You may not, but…"

"What are you _talking_ about?"

Leo leaned in close, a spark coming into his dead eyes. "Hazel Levesque, how would you like to look into your own future?"

"H-how can I? How can you? _Where is this conversation going_?" she asked hysterically.

Leo took out a spool of white thread from his back pocket and looked around nervously to make sure the elusive invisible ninjas were around. He pushed a button on his worktable and a small loom came up from a hatch on the ground.

"What is all this?" Hazel asked. "Leo, you're starting to creep me out."

He was rather creepy indeed. His eyes had become maniacal and his hands looped the thread over the wooden poles so swiftly, the setup was ready in a matter of seconds.

"You'll find out soon," he said breathlessly.

He linked the last thread and then the loom began to make the cloth. Leo barely had enough time to croak, "Hazel Levesque."

The cloth was a deep, rich red. The color of a bloody ruby. The square sheet of fabric was ready in a matter of seconds. He held it out proudly to Hazel.

"Leo, I don't get-" Hazel began, worrying her friend had begun to lose it.

"Just look at the cloth," he whispered, eyes ablaze.

Hazel hesitated and then took it into her own hands, looking deep into the stitches. She nearly dropped it when the image began to ripple. A video began to play on the seams.

She was older. Perhaps twenty? Her hair was in a braid down her hair and she was touching hands with Frank. He seemed so different too. Much less flab, much more muscle, but the nervous, unsure feeling in his eyes was the same, making her want to laugh.

"So, what'd you bring me out here for?" Future Hazel asked.

Frank coughed into his hand and then brought out a small box. "We've…we've been dating for eight years, and we've known each other for more. I just…I just want to know if you'd want to stop being my girlfriend."

"What?"

"I mean, I don't like your name. Wouldn't you like to change it to Mrs.?"

Future Hazel choked back a smile. Euphoria was building in the pit of her stomach, but she had to keep calm. "Has Percy been giving you cue cards and pickup line lessons?"

"NO! Well, maybe."

"Just say what your tongue has the urge to say," Future Hazel said softly as she put a hand on top of Frank's. "I'll always be willing to hear your words, but Percy's are a bit cheesy."

Frank took in a deep breath. "Okay, got it. Hazel, will you marry me?"

Hazel's face pretended to fall. Frank gasped and turned so red he would have made a tomato jealous of the ripeness.

"I shouldn't have been that abrupt, right? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you, I was being stupid and-"

Hazel leaned in and kissed the fool. She leaned back down and smiled at him.

"Uh…does that mean yes, I should shut up, or yes, you'll marry me," he asked softly.

She gave a pure laugh of joy and said, "Use your senses, Frank."

He didn't hesitate one more second and put a ring on Hazel's finger. Then he pulled her into a bear hug. Quite literally. He was so happy he turned into a bear by accident and just about crushed Hazel if not for the fluffy brown coat.

The image faded.

This time, future Hazel was at least thirty. Sweat plastered her hair to her face and she was hospitalized on a bed.

"I want to see her," Hazel said breathless. "I _need _to see her!"

Frank hesitated and then walked out of the room, only to return in the next second with a bundle of cloth in his large, bulky arms. The bundle poked a hand out.

Hazel shuddered and accepted the bundle. She had Frank's eyes but skinny, chocolaty skin and the most beautiful lashes. She opened her toothless mouth and gave a gummy smile and reached out a hand to rest on Hazel's chest.

Present Hazel let a tear fall from her eyes. "I…I…"

"She looks a lot like you and Zhang," Leo said happily, putting an arm around Hazel. "Don't cry, Haze, she's beautiful."

"What are you going to name her?" Frank asked softly, patting down Future Hazel's hair.

"You always leave the tough choices to me, don't you?" Hazel joked weakly, poking Frank's rock hard abs.

Frank immediately backtracked. "If you don't want to, I mean, I can do it, but I just thought you might want to, because you, you know, did give birth to her, I mean…"

Hazel put a trembling hand on his, crying. She smiled though her tears. "I want to name her Emily."

Frank stopped and took in a deep breath. Then he leaned in and kissed her on her forehead. "You are the most amazing person I have ever known. Keep on being outstanding."

"I will," Hazel murmured, and planted a small kiss on little Emily's brown cheek. "You have to be a good father to Emily, Frank, or I just might leave you."

"Tell me you're joking," Frank gasped, immediately turning pale. "B-But the vows, you said you'd stick with me, I mean, if you want to back down-"

Hazel laughed a pure laugh of tinkling joy and Frank finally relaxed and joined in. Little Emily burble with happiness too.

Present Hazel was almost sad to see the image go.

"You'll wait for me, right?" Hazel said as she sobbed into Frank's silk pajama shirt.

What were they, mid-eighties? "In Elysium. You won't leave me for r-rebirth?"

"Use your judgment, Hazel," Frank whispered.

They were on a field, a gryphon fading into yellow dust. A small girl who looked vaguely like Frank and Hazel was lying unconscious on the field also.

"You have to take care of nine grandchildren, dear, you have to begin eating your carrots better," Frank mumbled, eyes growing gray. "I only wish I could have grown a better beard in my life."

Hazel coughed on her tears as she tried to laugh. She failed.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Hazel whispered. "I wish we could have had more time…"

"We'll have eternity when it's your natural time," Frank muttered. "At least die honorably for someone, dear."

"I-I will," Hazel whispered.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

Frank winked. "I'll wait until…_huff_…Elysium to say I love you most."

Then he went limp and his hand slacked in Future Hazel's grip. The daughter of Pluto wailed as a mountain of jewels eons old came up from the ground and lifted them up into the air.

"Oh…" Hazel sobbed. "Oh…"

Leo hugged Hazel firmly. It felt so good now that they both knew there were no romantic feelings behind it. "No worries, Miss Metal-Detector, you still have decades in you yet."

"Thank you, Leo," Hazel whispered into his shoulder. "I don't know how many people you can show, but I loved mine. Even if it doesn't come true, I'll be happy."

"That's the beauty, Haze," Leo smirked. "This is…your future."

Hazel stopped crying and then her scream of happiness rang through the entire camp grounds, startling some campers picking strawberries half a kilometer away.


	4. Nico's Future

"Please, Leo, I know it's not mine anymore, but I HAVE TO KNOW!" Travis yelled. "I'm absolutely positive-"

"Then I don't see why you have to be bustin' down my door like a Hot-Sauce Hyper Festus, Travis," Leo snapped, leaning back into the bunked to slam the door close.

"I'll do _anything_!" Travis yelled, lunging between the door so it closed on his face. "Absolutely anything! PLEASE!"

"Get out of here, Travis!" Leo said with a roll of his eyes. "We've agreed I can use the thread for what _I _like. Not so you can see your nonexistent future with Katie."

Travis flinched. Then he glared at Leo. "You…have gone _way _too far with that jibe, Valdez. Do you really want to see what I can do for you?"

"I'm trembling," Leo snorted, and closed the door.

Travis glowered and sprinted back to camp. The first person he saw walking was Percy. He had seaweed in his hair. Obviously had just taken a dip into the lake and upset some naiads.

"Jackson," Travis said, heart burning. His small good side said _Don't tell him_! His bigger bad side said _Just Jackson? Nah, you put it on a blimp!_ "Did you know that Leo has a spool of thread that could tell your future with Annabeth or something?"

"My future with…" Percy's eyes clouded and he looked like he was thinking hard.

"You would be able to know if you have kids in the future or if something bad happens to her and you could protect her!" Travis said maliciously.

"Protect Annabeth?" Percy gasped. He whirled around and raced to find Annabeth.

And, of course, the entire camp knew in less than fifteen minutes flat.

* * *

Leo was snoozing as he tinkered with a few Celestial Bronze nuts and bolts when his door just about broke down. Campers, it seemed every single person in camp, actually, was at his door!

Of course he had been chased down by angry mobs. One could hardly have a magazine full of blackmail photos of the gods and not get chased down every now and then by a horde of peacocks or aquatic mammals.

He opened the door a crack and it was like a zombie horror movie; about sixty hands just jammed through the tiny crack, waving madly, trying to grab something.

"HOLY MOTHER OF ALL MECHANICAL DRAGONS!" he wailed as he leapt back.

Percy somehow managed to squeeze in and there was a mad look in his eyes. "I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE, VALDEZ!"

Leo didn't like his tone nor his panting voice so he took out a monkey wrench from his tool belt and launched it at Percy.

The son of Poseidon dodged the throw and moved toward the younger boy.

"Percy, you don't know how unfair this is! I can't just—" Leo looked around for a second exit but of course there was none. And even if there was, he expected the entire Bunker to be surrounded from all sides. Was this how chased celebrities felt?

"Please!" he said. "You know…I heard Hazel and Frank know theirs already. So why don't we keep this in the seven? You have, what, three more insights? So what I'm saying is let me and Annabeth go as one, Jason and Piper as another, and someone else of your choice.

"You owe me. Last time I checked, you were blaming yourself for letting me fall into Tartarus."

Leo winced. Man, he just _had _to bring that up. But Percy had a point.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "Get in."

"Sweet, I'll get Nico to shadow travel us all," Percy said, beaming. He was just about to go out when Leo stopped him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back the metaphorical truck up," Leo said, doing one of those neck swirl thingies they did on reality television. "Why are you dragging di Angelo into all this?"

"Don't worry, the little dude isn't so worried about his future," he said, waving his arms. "You don't have to worry about getting him a look. I'll get rid of all of them."

He walked out and yelled, "LEO SAID HE'S OUT OF THREAD, GUYS!"

There were moans and the place cleared out quicker than if someone had blown a pistol in the air. Leo sat down and rubbed his temples, trying to think happy thoughts as he pulled out the ball of string from his pocket.

"Man, you are really a bother," the son of Hephaestus said.

He sighed and put it back down just as the shadow of his newest sculpture bent slightly and seven demigods sprawled out on the floor.

"Oh, I'm going to be sick," Frank moaned as he tried to get up on his feet. Then he stumbled back down.

"Not in the Bunker, you won't, Zhang," Leo said irritably and prodded Frank in the gut with the point of his shoe. "So who's going first?"

"I am!" Percy yelled excitedly like a child who had been chosen to be a magician's assistant. "Me first! Me, me, me!"

"Fine!" Leo yelled.

Hazel looked at him. The creases in his brow, the twitching of his eyes and not fingers… he was not the happy go lucky guy she knew. Now he was snappier and angrier. He didn't crack as many jokes but not in the good way.

Seeing his future had changed him.

Leo snapped his fingers and the loom rolled back up. The Celestial Bronze shone brightly. He looped the pure white thread through the wooden poles and when he finished, he turned to Percy with a look of distaste.

"Say your name," he said.

"Percy Jackson?" Percy said, sounding confused and unsure.

The string didn't move.

"No, you moron, you have to say your full name, like mine is Nicolas di Angelo," Nico said exasperatedly. Then his eyes grew huge as he clamped a hand over his mouth.

"No!" Leo yelled.

But it was too late. The string became the darkest black that turned silver and purple when bent in the light. The loom began to spin and the cloth was being made right before their very eyes.

The square foot of cloth was done in an instant. Leo picked it up with trembling hands and whirled around, glaring daggers at Nico. Then he gave a roar and would have leapt on top of him if it wasn't for Frank turning into a bear and restraining him.

"You'll pay for this, di Angelo!" Leo yelled.

"Calm down, Leo!" Hazel yelled as she ran to comfort her brother. But his eyes were not widened at horror at the prospect of being jumped on by Leo, he was watching the cloth.

Everybody stopped what they were doing and went to stand behind him.

The cloth shimmered.

* * *

Nico, about ten years older, was walking down the alleyway with nothing but a backpack and his Stygian Iron sword by his side swinging on a chain. His eyes were hollow and he was staring at the ground. He was back to looking unhealthily half-starved.

"Oh, Nico," Present Hazel said as she stroked Nico's cheek.

Suddenly, the three Furies materialized in front of the 24-year old Nico. In unison, they all said, "Are you ready for your trip, our King?"

Future Nico smiled sadly. "Not yet. I'm looking for someone I haven't yet found. I'll be able to leave soon, though. This world is not fitting to me, I think."

"We'll be in the corner, waiting for you," the front one rasped and then they spread their leathery bat-like wings and took off.

Future Nico looked up and sighed. "This is the last building. I searched _every _single one in the country."

He turned the corner and saw a huge sign that said _KNICKER-BOCKER ORPHANAGE_.

"Oh man," Jason whispered.

Future Nico walked in, head tilted. Long, greasy locks covered his eyes but everyone could see the purple aura of fear and nervousness around him.

"Hello," he said softly as he walked in.

The woman at the reception desk looked up, not interested. Then she _saw _him with the black clothes, skeleton face, and trembling pale hands. She took in a quick breath.

"We don't take in people over the age of 18, go look for a homeless shelter or something," she said nastily.

"I'm here to see if I can adopt a child," Nico said quietly. "Here are my papers."

He took out a blank sheet of paper. The woman looked at it, the Mist obviously writing down the words she wanted to see.

"Well, Mr. Walton, I see your funds and papers are all in line," she said, not smiling. She brushed her blonde curls behind an ear. "Come and see the children."

Nico hesitated and then followed her into the viewing room.

The next three hours were fast forwarded. Kids sat and walked past, one by one. To each one, Nico listened intently and then shook his head, dismissing them angrily with a wave of his hand.

Then the last girl came in, around age 10. She had rich olive skin and a baggy green cap on her head. Nico took in a _very _miniscule breath as though she nearly walloped the air out of his lungs.

"And what's your name?" Nico asked slowly.

She looked at him straight in the eyes, no nonsense. "My name is Bianka Sebastian."

"Bianca? With a C?" Future Nico looked as though he could hardly believe his ears.

"K, actually," Bianka said. "So…are you going to adopt me?"

"Depends, do you want to go with me?" Nico looked like he was enjoying himself now. He sat back, and a body language specialist would have noted the relaxed shoulders.

"Well, what's your name, sir?"

"You can call me Nico, Bianka." He rubbed his eyes as though something had gone inside of it.

"I think I _would _like to go with you," Bianka said. "I don't like it here, much. There's only one girl here my age but she's not very nice to me. I won't mind going somewhere exotic or strange."

"Tell me, Bianka, what happened that you ended up here?" Nico said, leaning forward and pressing the tips of his fingers together.

"Father Sebastian told me he and Mommy Sebastian were getting divorced," Bianka said. "I ran away. They found me. I ran away again. This time, they said having me was too much trouble and left me to Social Services."

"Did you run away because you were sad?" Nico asked.

Bianka looked down at the ground. "No. It's because Father Sebastian died after marrying a woman with fire for hair and red eyes and a donkey leg."

The son of Hades gawked. Then he cleared his throat. "Have you…have you seen other odd things like around you before?"

Bianka's eyes shone, as though she was relieved her didn't run away screaming or pet her hair and say she had a good imagination. "Yes, I have! Do you see them too?"

Nico looked at her and took her hand. Bianka looked into his eyes and smiled brightly. Percy made a sound like he had been kicked in the gut.

_The girl looked exactly like Bianca._

Future Nico closed his eyes. The girl was definitely mortal. Perhaps a mortal that could see through the mist like Rachel or Luke's mother.

"How would you like to follow me somewhere fun?" Future Nico whispered. "I'll tell you a good story while we go there too. You might find it…an explanation."

The image faded.

* * *

Perhaps three years later. Nico looked _so _much better. Hazel felt like crying, looking at his smiling face and healthy olive skin tone. He was…he was _smiling_.

"Bianka, how many times do I have to tell you? We're leaving for Uncle and Aunt Jackson's house _now_!" Nico said exasperatedly.

Bianka, now a teenager, rolled her eyes and looked back to her iPhone. "_Dad_, come on, we have to go _every year_. Can't we just have a quiet Christmas brunch by ourselves?"

"No," Nico said. He strolled out the door. "I'll leave you here if you want. I can go by myself."

Bianka's head snapped up and her face full of fear was comical. "You _know _I hate being by myself! That's not funny, Dad."

Nico didn't come back in. Bianka rolled her eyes and let out a whiny sigh before grabbing her jacket and trudging out the door, slamming it behind her. She climbed into the silver Porsche.

"Sometimes, you play _really _dirty," Bianka grumbled.

Nico laughed and winked. "I learned it from you, I'm guessing."

After a very uneventful car ride (if you ignore the fact that they got jumped on by two Cyclopes), they made it in front of a very nice three-story house complete with snowy garden and cobblestoned pathway.

Bianka, now getting over the fact she was ripped from her phone, bounced happily up the icy stairs gracefully and rang the doorbell thrice. She waited, face glowing.

The door opened and without a word of greeting, she said, "Can I see Luke?"

Annabeth blinked once. The woman in the image looked _very _much like her. Then she gasped when she remembered the words "_Uncle and Aunt Jackson._"

"Oh, Seaweed Brain!" she whispered and Percy grinned, hugging her from behind.

"I love it too," he murmured into her ear. Then he frowned. "Who's Luke?"

Future Annabeth laughed. "Getting right to the chase, I see. Percy!"

A handsome, tall, dark-haired man with sea green eyes appeared holding a blonde baby in his arms. "Oh, Nico and Bianka, you guys are here! Everybody else have arrived already."

Bianka took the little cooing baby from Percy and began to tickle his stomach while making baby noises. Then she leaned down and kissed his nose.

"We name our child Luke?" Present Percy asked, sounding exasperated.

Annabeth turned around and raised her eyebrows, hands on hips. "Do you have a problem with that, Seaweed Brain?"

"Not at all, Wise Girl," he said with a smirk and leaned down to kiss her once.

"Mommy, Mommy!" a high voice squealed. "Is Bianka here? Is she?"

A girl with long, wild black hair and stormy gray eyes appeared. Her pale face glowed with pleasure and she launched herself at the older girl, squealing happily as though she was the best Christmas present she could have hope for.

"Hey, Selena!" Bianka said, patting her head.

Present Percy snorted. "I see we're going to name _all _our kids after dead people. Nice." But his eyes shone. was it just Leo or did his eyes look misty?

"Come on in, Nico," Percy said, throwing an arm around the younger man. "We've got an actual turkey this Christmas! Annabeth cooked it herself."

"Uh…" both Nico and Bianka grimaced and made a moaning noise.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Stop freaking them out, Percy. No worries, Leo did all the cooking with Calypso and banned all of us from going into the kitchen."

"Phew," they all said.

The image faded, much to everyone's displeasure.

* * *

The next image showed Percy and Annabeth, bleeding and unconscious (or worse) in a corner, both of their bodies over a limp child who did not move. It was Luke, now in his teens.

Nico lay, tall and older, on the ground, staring up into the sky. Bianka, who had grown into a beautiful girl, sat sobbing over his body trying to staunch the blood flow.

"So close," Nico murmured. "I'll be joining my father's kingdom soon, I believe."

"NO!" Bianka shrieked. "You are _not _going to abandon me like my other dad, Dad!"

Nico's olive hand grabbed Bianka's arm. His face turned to see her, a tiny river of blood dripping down the side of his face from a temple. "You know the story of how I a-adopted you, right, Bianka?"

"Yeah, I'm the reincarnation of your older sister, as you believe," Bianka gasped, hands crisscrossing bandages over his midsection.

"If you hear of a little boy who likes Mythomagic…and isn't very accepted by the majority of people…" Nico's eyes grew cloudy. "You know…it's…me…"

"You can't just leave us all!" Bianka screamed. "Wait for me in Elysium or something! _DAD!_"

Nico's hand grew slack.

The image faded.

* * *

Nico's hand shook as he put the cloth down and shadow traveled out of the room, leaving everybody a feeling of morbid sadness.


	5. DISCONTINUED

**A/N: Sorry, guys, discontinued.**

**Now you are liberated to write in the reviews what a big ol' meanie I am.**

**And then please check out my other stories.**

**Sowwee**


	6. Chapter 6

**So…many people have begun crying and leaving sad reviews on my discontinued stories. I really can't continue Age Eight because not only have I become bored with the story (and when the author becomes bored, the story is not as good as possible, Rick Riordan said so himself!) but the story has gone so off course, I can't see the future for it unless it strays from being canon and becomes crack. So there is the answer. **

**But as one person commented, I have only two futures left and cutting it here would be bad and cruel. So here you go, I will finish this story!**

**On brighter news, I have given the other story, Age Eight, to hermes child awesomeness, my fellow sister.**

**Happy two-days-before-August, everyone!**

* * *

Percy hugged Annabeth and stared into her eyes, smiling. "Luke and Selena. Oh, Annabeth…"

"We live, we have a family…" Annabeth closed her eyes and leaned into Percy's chest. "Poor Nico, he died so young. I'm not sure if we live much longer, though, with that image."

"We will, I swear," Percy mumbled into her ear. Then they shared a kiss.

"Not in here," Leo said, annoyed. "Curse di Angelo, how _could _he do that? How stupid is he?"

Hazel bit her lip. "Leo…I'm worried about you. You haven't been the same, constantly on the edge and yelling at everyone. You're not okay."

"I'm fine," he snarled and then caught himself. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I've just been a bit…worried. I've been working nonstop on the circuit desk for Festus but it's not working, I've been terrified the future hasn't been…true."

He crouched and picked up Nico's fallen future. "I _need _to know if it's true or not."

Hazel put a hand on his arm. "Oh, Leo, don't worry. You can make your own future if need be, you know."

Leo shrugged. "I'll hold onto your future, Hazel."

She blinked and then reached into her pocket to take out a carefully folded ruby red sheet of cloth. "Can't I keep it?"

His eyes zoned out. "I'm afraid not, Hazel Levesque."

"Hazel Levesque?" she drew her hand back and stared at Leo's face. She forced out a laugh. "What are we, strangers? Come on, Leo, what's wrong with you?"

Leo suddenly froze and then he shook his head to clear the clouds from his head. "Of course. Sorry, Haze, didn't mean that. I mean, I'll just keep a hold on it for now, you can have it back whenever, 'course."

Hazel hesitated one more time. She glanced at Frank. She had a sinking, queasy feeling in her guy like she would be handing it over to some suspicious character.

"Leo, look at me," she said forcefully.

He looked up.

"I'm worried about you," Hazel said slowly. "You haven't been acting like yourself."

He blinked once and then rubbed his arm. "I guess not. Maybe I've been a bit harsh on Travis. I'll give him a look at his future to be nice, since everyone is satisfied."

"Not us!" Jason cried, holding hands with Piper.

"Relax, Captain Sparky," Leo said with a roll of his eyes. "I haven't forgotten my best friends, AKA the love birds."

"Leo!" Piper said, blushing.

"But I kinda feel bad for my home dawg," Leo said. "He did give me the spool with his brother in the first place."

"How did they get it in the first place?" Annabeth asked, crossing her arms. "I get the convenience store down the street, but stealing from the immortal Fates is kind of taking kleptomania to the next level."

"They're Stolls, I try not to spend too much time in their minds," Leo said with a roll of his eyes and then headed out.

* * *

He knocked on the Hermes bunk. Connor opened it, took one look at Leo, and then slammed the door. Leo knocked on the door again, sighing.

"Leo, get out of here!" Connor hissed. "Travis set up a rule in the bunk, everyone with the last name of Valdez has to get pranked to the edge of their sanity, and trust me, my sibling are more than—"

"There he is!" screeched a nine-year old girl named Holly. She took out a water balloon and chucked it with impeccable accuracy at Leo's head.

It exploded and Leo could tell you first-hand that the thing in the water balloon was most definitely _not _water. It seemed to be a mix of honey, raw eggs, and the liquefied version of the word "gross."

Then a bunch of chicken feathers were dumped on his head from the doorway. Seven kids body slammed him onto the ground and strapped a rooster hat and a beak onto his face. Someone shoved chicken socks onto his feet.

"Now you not only act like a chicken, you look like one too!" Travis said mockingly, crossing his arms. He glared down at Leo.

Connor looked from Leo to his twin and then back again before retreating into the bunk. This was one war he was not looking forward to being in. A prank master against a mischievous tinkerer spelled trouble.

"Nice, Travis, very well thought out," Leo said, trying to smile through the stickiness. What was in this stuff? "Now, if you want, you can take a look at your future now."

He faltered. "What?"

"I was in a bad mood," Leo said apologetically. "Sorry 'bout that."

Travis blinked and then helped Leo up. "No need to be sorry. We're kind of…even." He glanced pointedly down at his feather-coated clothes and the chicken outfit. "We have a sticky soluble salve, if you want."

He grinned. "Nah, I like this. For some reason, my heads on straighter now, I think."

* * *

"Come on, Katie, you're going to like this!" Travis said with a grin.

"I DON'T THINK I'LL LIKE IT TOO MUCH IF I'M BEING _KIDNAPPED_ LIKE THIS!" Katie hollered at the top of her lungs as she struggled against the ropes that bound her. "Leo, why are you helping him?!"

He grinned apologetically. He had built the wagon they were pushing Katie with. "Sorry, Kate-Kate, I owe Travis a favor for scoring me a pint of plutonium and uranium."

"P-p-plutonium and what now?!" she spluttered. "WHAT ILLEGAL THINGS DO YOU DO IN BUNKER 9?" she twisted her head to Travis. "And YOU_. _Where did you even get all that stuff?"

"I have connections," he said mysteriously.

They continued to wheel her into the woods. She cursed at them in English and Ancient Greek to the point a Greek sailor on the original Argo would have blushed.

They finally reached the Bunker. Leo carted her inside and Travis bounced behind them, skipping quite happily.

"Hey everyone!" Travis greeted them brightly.

They looked up from what respective things they were doing and droned, "Hey Katie, hey Connor."

"IS NO ONE GOING TO HELP ME?!" Katie screamed.

Leo set up the machine and bit his lip at the dwindling spool but nonetheless whispered to it, "Travis Stoll."

"Watch, Katie," Travis said excitedly. "It's going to tell the truth any second now."

The string turned a rich chocolate brown, the color of the semi-sweetened candy. Leo took off the square and set it so both Travis and Katie could see it comfortably. Katie clamped her mouth shut, although she looked very angry.

An image began to ripple across the string. Her jaw dropped.

* * *

"Connor," Travis sobbed as he clung to his brother's hand. They looked two years older or so. "Why did you…why didn't you just let me take the hit?"  
Connor's eyes were cloudy and blind as he turned his head shakingly to the general sound of his twin's voice. "You know why. You ran in front of Katie to take the blow. If someone's going out as a hero to her, it's going to be me."

Said Katie, older and prettier, shook her head in confusion. "I don't get it. You guys hate me. Why would you try to save me like this, both of you?"

Connor's breathing was beginning to grow labored. "I've loved you since the moment you walked into camp, Katie. My brother did too."

Both Present Katie and Future Katie turned maroon. Present Travis's ears turned pink.

"I loved you so much. But Travis loved you just as, if not more." Connor's other hand fumbled around, trying to touch hers. Katie grabbed his flailing hand. "I knew I didn't have a chance. I saw the looks you gave him, not me. I was the third wheel."

"Shut up, Connor," Future Travis whispered, swiping a hand over his eyes. Present Travis did as well.

Connor smiled emptily. A tear squeezed out of the corner of his eyes. "You were so beautiful. We couldn't get our attention away from you, so we kept on teasing you. We both competed for your eye. Travis won."

Then he turned to Travis and his eyes hardened, although he still looked a billion miles away. "She's now worth _two _lives, Travis. I'm going to be with her in soul. So that means if you let her die, I'm going to die too. Treasure her in a way _I _can't."

"Connor," Future Katie whispered hoarsely, tears tracks staining her cheeks red. She looked at Travis and her face seemed to melt.

"I never stood a chance," Connor muttered. His breath was coming in short gasps now. "I wish I could have won that contest. But now you and Travis are bonded by _my _spirit, got it? I'll wait for you two in Elysium."

Travis kneeled over his breather and gave a big shuddering breath. "I'll treat her well."

"I'm sorry," Katie sobbed, and kissed Connor's cheek.

He smiled blissfully. "Not a bad way to go. Tell Dad that I…"

His eyes lost what little shine they possessed and his hand went slack. His chest stopped moving. Travis's shoulders shook and then he raised his face to the sky and screamed bloody murder.

Katie took Connor's face in her hands, pressed her forehead against his, and muttered a small prayer. Then she stood to hug Travis.

Both Future and present were shocked.

"It's what he wanted," she whispered, and kissed Travis on the lips.

* * *

Present Katie gasped and was close to passing out at the interaction. But the cloth was not over. It showed them perhaps thirty. Katie had her head on Travis's shoulder. His arm was around her. They were staring at the sunset.

"It's been twelve years," Travis said hoarsely.

Nobody asked twelve years since what. It was kind of obvious.

"I've been thinking," he said slowly. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Future Katie asked.

He eased himself away from the porch and went on one knee. Every girl gasped. He brought out a small black velvet box and opened it slowly. Inside was a gold ring with a small diamond.

"Not stolen, by the way," he said in a joking way but Future Katie was speechless. He took in a deep breath. "Katie Gardener. Will you marry me?"

Tears blurred her vision. She wiped them and then laughed.

"What?" he asked, worried.

She wiped her eyes again but instead of laughing now, she was flat out sobbing. "I…I swear I can see two of you. T-Two of you."

Travis paled.

"Yes," she finally choked out, and flung her hands around Travis. "I can't not see Connor, Travis, but don't worry. I only focus on you now."

* * *

Thirty-five, perhaps?

Katie had a bad gash on her cheek and Travis was bleeding heavily from a rip in his arm. They stared at the horde of hellhounds. There were too many. There was no way.

"I love you," Travis whispered into her ear as they sank to the ground.

"We can meet Connor now," she whispered back. "I love you too."

The hellhounds pounced.

* * *

The images stopped. Everybody felt squeamish. That had been one of the shortest futures they had seen. Travis wiped the tears from his eyes and then kneeled down next to Katie who was still hog-tied in the wagon.

"I know we have a future now, Katie," he managed to choke out. "But if Connor's going to…to croak any time soon, I want him happy first." He pressed his forehead against hers so their tears mingled, but they didn't kiss. "Make him happy for me."

Then he left the cloth there and then ran away.

Katie struggled with her bonds and said weakly, "Can someone untie me?"


End file.
